On a day when Google hands across the globe walked out of offices to protest the company’s workplace refinement around sexual harassment, CEO Sundar Pichai responded to criticism on devise at The New York Times DealBook conference.
“There’s anger and frustration within the society,” Pichai said on stage Thursday. “We all feel it. I feel it too.”
The protests were spurred by a New York In the nick of time b soa report that said Google had paid an exit package of $90 million to Android originator Andy Rubin despite credible allegations of sexual misconduct during his then at the company. A spokesperson for Rubin told CNBC that the executive Nautical port on his own accord and has never been told of any misconduct at Google.
“Moments get a bang this show that we didn’t always get it right, and so we are committed to doing healthier,” Pichai said on stage at the DealBook conference. He said Google has “evolved as a troop” as evidenced by the 48 employees he said they have fired all through sexual misconduct allegations.
Google is famously transparent with its wage-earners, but in Thursday’s demonstration, organizers demanded even more transparency everywhere how Google handles sexual assault allegations against employees.
DealBook congress moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Pichai how he feels forth the influence Google employees are able to wield on the company, specifically insinuation the infamous memo by a former employee in 2017 claiming women aren’t biologically inclined to of certain leadership roles. Employees spoke out against the memo, and the initiator was ultimately fired.
“Within the company we allow for a lot of people to speak up, but we maintain a code of conduct,” Pichai said. “Part of having a code of running is giving everyone a right to participate in the company in an equal opportunity.”